


Leaving Betazed

by Lionessinthedark



Series: Star Trek into darkness.....a bit different [13]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Betrayal, Khan is not a bad guy after all, M/M, Multi, Post-Star Trek: Into Darkness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-07 23:34:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4282218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lionessinthedark/pseuds/Lionessinthedark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Khan tries to leave Betazed...but something is wrong....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter one

The Keeper...the High-priestess Ketira...had asked Khan to stay a bit longer and Kirk, Bones and Spock had returned to USS Enterprise together with the rest of the crew members that had been down on Betazed too.

Khan and Ketira (her name and title was so much longer, but she did let understand that it was sufficient enough to address her that way) walked together in the area surrounding the Temples.

“You humans are so interesting....”, she said.

“But I’m not human!”

“Oh yes you are....your genes are almost human...your body look human and your mind is human too. But you are a version 2.0....better in so many ways...but still human in our eyes.”

Khan nodded...he understood, but asked again “Why are we so interesting?”

“Sit down...” and she pointed towards a bench and sat down next to Khan.

“You see....”and she drew a circle in the sand on the path.......divided it in five: “This is a simplification...but it’ll do. Every species have their own profile, imagine that each part of this circle is filled out.....from the centre to the circumference. This part is the ”ruler”, this part is the “conqueror”...this one is the “builder”...this one is the “warrior” and the last one is the “saviour”, here”. And she pointed at each part of the circle in turn.

“But you humans are the only species where there is so much variation. Some in your past was almost totally a “ruler” or a “conqueror”.....Alexander the Great, Caesar......and others almost only a “warrior”...as Djengis Khan. You have had pure “saviours” and “builders” too. There are no other species that we know of; where the variety is so big. That is why the human race is so interesting! And believe me Khan...even if you are an augment, you are still very human!” She smiled at him.

“You said that my “genes are almost human”, but I know that some of my genes are Vulcan, and if I search I find other alien genes. If others have visited Earth and dropped genes.....why haven’t they shown themselves?”

Ketira sat in silence for a few seconds, and then she answered: “For two reasons...that some of you humans could be so one-full-part scared us. There is potential in Homo Sapiens Sapiens, you Tellurians, to be either something very, very good for the Galaxy or could be the ruin of many civilizations....and second: we have intervened: whispered good ideas in the ears of your scientists and your potential is shown in how they managed to make something out of those whispers... and someone actually helped more than 10 mill. years ago as the “old ones” –the ancestors of nearly all species in this Galaxy - were on Earth too and sort of “dropped” their genes and again 50.000 years ago when a very small population...not more than 9000 individuals were on the rim of extension in Eastern Africa.   
They were so close to not being there anymore and something in their brains developed, took a jump forward....and Homo Sapiens Sapiens emerged. This time on your own, but still with alien genes, your species walked out of Africa...and met the others: Neanderthal and Denisovian and they mangled. In a very short time were these mixtures the only human species. Civilizations came and went under. You have only knowledge of a few: Atlantis was not a fiction! The Mayas were so much more than you know now. The old civilizations that left the “Plain of jars” in Vietnam vanished. Your civilization is so much older than you think....and you were being watched. That you had gone from stone axes to atom bombs in less than 8000 years scared us all! Maybe we shouldn’t have whispered...”

Khan: “I see, but you didn’t keep an eye on us when the “Buzzers” threatened” to eliminate us!”

She looked at him: “No, you are right. Right there we failed to keep an eye on you. We hadn’t even discovered the “Buzzers” being a threat towards your planet. Or at least we thought we had a lot of time to do something. You really surprised us; you humans, when it turned out that you had managed to build star ships and make super soldiers. It was like having a home with a nursery room in it. And then there were robbers in the neighborhood, and they could be a threat if they came near the house. And when they finally did and the parents decided to go to the nursery room to take care of the children. Then the children would have build weapons and booby traps out of toys and cardboard, tape and glue! And had beaten the robbers, who had sneaked in through the window!”

Khan laughed a bit bitterly: “Nice to know that you look upon us as children in a nursery room!”

Ketira: “We did....and found out that it was a mistake. That’s why Humans are a part of the Federation now and thereby members of The Galactic Council. But you are still a very young species. You still have to learn and I’m afraid that what you Khan have been through in your past, both 300 years ago and about 4 years ago, it has been a mirror to show how far mankind had reached in maturity.   
Children are oft very cruel without knowing it. And humans nearly failed in the way they treated you. It was not a test any of us had planned, but we had decided to keep an eye on them. If they just had put you back in the cryo-tubes without a trial, if they just had handed you over to section 31 again, if they deliberately had killed your people whilst they remained frozen and if your death sentence hadn’t been canceled, we would have interfered”

“In time to safe my life?”

“Yes....you are much too valuable for us alive!”

“It wasn’t much of a help as I suffered in the hands of Marcus’ mad scientists! I’m not sure you could have intervened in time...I was very close to death at several occasions...as you have seen!”

“No, I’m afraid that we have failed there!” She stood up: “Let’s walk a bit....there is a house where there is something, I’ll like to show you.”

(She thought as they walked down the path: “I hate to do this...it’s not fair to him. He has suffered so much.....but the necessity of the many....”.)


	2. Chapter 2

Ketira and Khan walked a bit further and came close to a small hill where upon a black temple building was to be seen. They went into a house near the base of the hill. It was rather dark inside, only a few windows and apparently some other rooms, since there were closed doors. They sat down at a bench close to the outside wall. There were other people in the rather dark hall and Khan suddenly realized that they were armed.

He turned his head: “Something is wrong...I sense that you are going to say something very unpleasant to me, thus the armed guards...am I right? Am I still a treat to my fellow crew members?”

Ketira: “No you are not....not anymore...but being what you are. I’m afraid that you suit our needs in a perfect way and therefore we can’t allow you to leave!” 

Khan: “Continue! Is that why you wanted me to stay alive?”

“Yes, when we first found out about you. Thank god Admiral Marcus didn’t succeed in killing you. You see...we Betazoids are complex too, like any other species in the known universe. We are not totally good....we have our dark sides too... “, and she pointed towards the black temple: “...that is where our dark sides are satisfied.....”.

Khan looked at her...he did fear that he understood: “When you say that that I suit your needs perfectly, I suppose that it is my healing abilities and the traumatic memories in my mind that suits you?!”

“Exactly!”

“So... you... torture people?....”

“Torture is a big word...but yes, we harm people physically and mentally, cannibalizing on their memories, watching the things that torments them...and as you know through your treatment, it can be seen on the body too. We just increase the impact on their bodies.”

Khan looked down on his hands and said very silently: “Who would have thought that about a people who are known for their willingness to help people and their almost Eden-like planet. Too good to be true... I should have known!” He looked up at her in anger and the guards stepped closer....fingers on the triggers.

Khan looked at them: “I’m offended by your expectations of my behaviour. I’m not stupid enough to attack your priestess, when you have a whole star ship and its crew as hostages!!”

He turned towards Ketira “What now? I don’t suppose I’m allowed to say goodbye to my friends?”

She looked at him: “Of course not...unfortunately there has been a tragic accident as we were sailing on one of our beautiful lakes....terrible....the boat caught fire...”.

“I see”

“You have of course a choice”

“And that is?”

“We can pick 25 of USS Enterprise’s crew to take your place”

“Oh...so I’m worth 25 human lives?!”

“No...you are worth so much more than that...but it’ll do.”

“To say that I have that choice...that is a huge lie. At least have the decency not to lie to me. What am I supposed to do now?”

“You agree?”

“No I don’t agree!!!”He turned his head towards her in anger: “I’ am forced...just like before....it’s apparently my destiny to be betrayed, again and again. If there are any Gods and they think this is funny, I don’t like their sense of humour!!!Just tell me what I’m supposed to do now!!”

Ketira pointed towards one of the doors: “Go in there. There is clothing for you and a slave-torq. You undress...totally....put on the cloak and the torq and you drink the “water” in the glass. The fluid will make the transition easier.”

Khan closed his eyes....Ketira could feel his anger... his rage....oh so controlled but his utter grief and...resignation too. She hated what she had to do to this man.

Khan asked...and his voice was sort of....dead.....without hope: “And the torq. What kind is it? The one that controls with pain or the other...maybe more merciful or maybe even crueler.... that control you by making you content with the thought of being a slave?”

“We wouldn’t enjoy it so much if it was the last kind, would we?”

He turned away, got up on his feet and walked towards the door, turned his head and caught her eyes: “No...I’ll guess it would be too easy then....and too merciful.”  
He closed the door behind him.

Ketira leaned forward and turned the monitor on. She could see him sitting on the bench in the room for a long time...meditating? After about 10 minutes he began to undress. Then he stood up naked, his back to the door.....and Ketira had to admit that his creators had made an excellent job. He was very close to perfect. Like an old Greek statue from Earth....the ones they were shown in education about Fibonacci and the golden ratio...not only limited to the Human race but like that all over the Galaxy. The old Greeks from the Earth had managed to capture it in marble and so did sculptures later on in the history of humans too. But here he was... in flesh and blood...with the right proportions....even his skin was so pale that it almost looked like marble. Only very few humanoids or humans had that skin tone. Very unusual. And If you looked at his face piece by piece he was a bit......un-human. His eyes, the shape of his face.....strangely triangular. She could understand why people would look at him and think: “Is he human?” But then again...he wasn’t actually. And his mind...very rare and unique too. 

She had been so far away in her own thoughts that she nearly missed that he closed the torq around his neck. He could probably feel it in his brain now.

Khan went to the table and lifted the glass. He looked with disgust at the glass in his hand. The fluid in it was blue, swirling. Poison? No....it would be too easy. And he emptied the glass. He took the clothes that he now was allowed to wear: a black kimono-like cloak...no footwear.

“No footwear for slaves” he thought bitterly and opened the door again leaving everything behind. Ketira was waiting for him.

“Satisfied?” he asked.

“Yes I’m pleased”, she answered, “Come with me....”

They walked towards the black temple, and as they went into the building, Khan asked: “Am I allowed to ask questions?”

“You are...for now”

“When shall my..hm...”duties” ....begin?”, but Ketira didn’t answer.

There was a bench...”Sit down” he was ordered.

“They are never going to begin. The torq is a prop, not a real Orion slave torq. All of it has been a test!” she said.

He looked at her quickly and said: ”I don’t believe you. I can feel it in my brain. You know what it’ll do to me if I remove it. Don’t make me make that mistake! I’ve worn one before...only for 5 minutes and it nearly did shortcut my brain as it was removed!”

She touched his arm: “Khan...it was all a test. I didn’t think it was necessary. You have shown enough in your past that the part called the “saviour” is just as filled out in you as the ”ruler”, the “conqueror, the “builder” and the “warrior”. But the others in The Council decided that if you hadn’t passed the test, we couldn’t have released you out in to the Galaxy without altering your mind! You are so unique.......your mind is......but...”

“Just as my old body had scares, so is my mind scarred?”

“Exactly......the things you have been through have diminished your full potential. Not that you are so harmed that you cannot function.....but scars are there and they block your full potential”

He looked at her: “It was just a test?”

“Yes...I’m afraid it was a very cruel one”

“Indeed it was”...and he carefully unlocked the torq, not certain that someone not again was testing or playing with him, but nothing happened.

“And the drink?”

“Just nectar”

One of the guards came with his clothes and boots.

“Get dressed...your ship is waiting for you”, she said.

He got his clothes on....not turning away..... and he really didn’t have anything to be ashamed of.

“I’m so sorry we had to put you through that.......but it was necessary!”, she continued.

He turned around and looked at her: “Good bye Ketira. I sincerely hope that I’ll never see you or your planet ever again, despite all the help you have given me. You accused humans of being like children...and therefore cruel. You must be very young yourself!!!!”

She bowed her head and remained sitting: “I understand.”

_________________________  
When Khan had returned to the ship and he just said about his prolonged stay that it was “educational”, Ketira hurried back to the healing settlement.

“Do we have enough blood to duplicate him?” she asked one of the doctors.

“Plenty and even a lot of his nano-robots...did you manage to duplicate his mind?” was the answer.

She showed the torq: “Such an extraordinary being.... that Khan. Just what we have been waiting for. I doubt that the earthlings knew what they made. We are somehow obliged to duplicate him. But this time he’ll be given the upbringing that’ll create the perfect ruler. That poor Khan on the star ship. He has got so many tormenting memories that his full potential never can be fulfilled. We are going to love our young Khan and train him, and educate him and develop his mind to its full potential. And we can compare his mind to this on the torq.”


	3. Chapter 3

On the USS Enterprise Khan vent to his cabin next to Jim’s. He was still on sick-leave, should not report for duty until much later when he felt ready. This new body should be trained in the gym and his mind should get used to it again. He laid down on his bed and tried to sleep. When he woke he felt a body behind him...hugging him.

“You did it again, didn’t you?” Spock asked.

“Did what?”

“Don’t fool me, Khan. You are my bond-mate, my T’hy’la. I could feel every feeling you had: curiosity, then worry, anger, rage, sorrow, grief, despair, resignation and anger again....tell me what happened, please.”

And Khan told...

“25 people”, said Spock....”that is quite a few. Logically you could have saved your own life.”

“Nonsense! I knew exactly whom they had in mind. It’s easy...think of people who are close to me and who have terrible memories: you Spock...seeing your people and your planet die, loosing Kirk, the shame as you thought you had raped me....just to mention a few. Kirk...growing up without his father, that bastard of an uncle... The incidents on Tarsus IV.........bar fights...loosing Pike.... Scotty abandoned on that frozen planet...not knowing when or if he would be remembered....loosing Keenser...being tortured. Pavel...his upbringing in Russia in that foster home...freezing and starving”...and Khan continued mentioning first 10 of the officers and then 15 of the crew...knowing all about their bad memories.

“There is no way that I would have any of this people remembering those incidents as vivid as the day they experienced them. I’ve been there, it was horrible and it was even rather moderated....and for the pleasure of the Betazoids, no way! Not even if they have treated me the way they have. Such a destiny would be too cruel!”

And Khan trembled and hid his face in his hands.

Spock: “....and then you did put on a slave-torq....I could feel it!”

Khan turned his head: “It turned on that it was just a prop. But it felt genuine as I put it on. And then it was just a test...a cruel one....”

Khan had turned around...and Spock embraced him: “You have a terrible habit of sacrificing yourself.” 

And Khan smiled and said: “Who is talking?.....staying in a erupting volcano, going down on a dying planet, flying red matter into a Romulan ship and just escaping in the last fraction of a second, suicidal rescue mission on the “Growlar II”...must I continue?” 

Spock gave him a hug: “Maybe we should have a talk with Bones and have our heads examined?”

“Oh my god, Spock.......you just told a joke......maybe we should!”....and like that they fell asleep.  
______________________

Jim found them sleeping and embracing each other in the sleep when he returned from his shift. There were room enough for him in the bed too. Thank god they have made it so big. Such a strange relationship, both him and Khan was bond to Spock.....but only when he was around could they sense each other’s minds and Spock had first become a part of it when Spock...well actually.... recently raped Khan.... because Spock had had a Pon Farr-breakthrough.....caused by the destruction of Vulcan. 

Spock had been so silent on the bridge and had insisted on finding Khan, when Khan returned from Betazed. Something must have happened.....but they both seemed to be all right for now. Jim squeezed himself in between the two strong men and fell asleep too. Time to travel to the Zena Empire when their leave ended in about 14 days, Thank god the Betazoids would take care of those embryos back on Earth.

**Author's Note:**

> Note: I’m not a Trekkie and I’m not sure I’ve got the different races, Empires, Dominions and Federations correct. Not even how they are placed in the Galaxy versus each other.  
> All the stories in my series take place in the Star Trek universe and are in chronological order....in “the alternate reality” and “post Star Trek into Darkness”, except from the first 2 stories and the main point is that Khan Noonien Singh is not a bad guy after all...or is he? Are there hidden agendas somewhere?  
> And of course I do not own the characters. They belong to Roddenberry in the first place and Paramount in the second.  
> English is not my native tongue so I excuse if there are failures.


End file.
